Waiting for Camelopardalids

[entropia]

There was a stargazer gathering on Friday (which coincided with the meteor shower) so I decided to go. I wanted to get there before dusk so I could have a chance to see Mercury for the first time. When we got there the sun was still on the horizon so I couldn't see anything but then suddenly I saw a speck of light. I checked my app and certainly was. It became darker (and easier) to find. I look at it with my 5" newtonian and it didn't look round (my telescope needs collimation) but kind of like Apple's logo . Saturn, Mars and Jupiter were also visible. Night came and with it the stars. Somebody had a 14" and he showed us Saturn and for the first time I could see three of its satellites. I didn't use my telescope anymore as I was looking at the constellations (in the city it is hard to see that many stars). Scorpion and Sagittarius are really beautiful. Coma Berenices is really breathtaking. Corona Borealis looks like a crown. Cygnus was flying through the sky and after midnight the Milky way was spectacular (at leas for us who live with light pollution). I looked at Camelopardalis for so long and I still can't see a giraffe. The meteorites came slowly and scarcely (I saw in total maybe 8) and by 3 am we decided to go home. But before I went home I saw a smudge between Cassiopeia and Andromeda and I thought that it could only be Andromeda Galaxy (I thought I was never going to be able to see it with the naked eye).  It was still low and there was a little light pollution but it was visible. Then, when we were coming back a beautiful rising waning crescent. It was a memorable night for me, a night of many firsts so it wasn't bad that the Camelopardalids weren't really great.

[cotterless45]

Absolutely lovely. I usually just sit and look at the constellations when the skies are dark. Just amazing what you can see, hurrah !

Nick.

[entropia]

It's like watching a soap opera in the sky . All the stories and characters...